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‘Filmmakers thought desi stories will not work, audience kuch aur hi soch rahi hai,’ says Kantara actor-director Rishab Shetty on why south films work at box office

Filmmaker-actor Rishab Shetty has spoken about the audience’s choice of what they want to watch on the big screen. In a new interview, the director and star of critically acclaimed and box office blockbuster Kannada film Kantara, Rishab said that the audience love ‘stories rooted in our culture’ and said that filmmakers thought ‘desi stories’ won’t work and instead wanted to try content with ‘Western sensibilities’ that are not working at the box office as they are not appealing to the Indian audience.

In an interview to an online portal, Rishab said, “The people of India are sentimental. They love stories rooted in our culture and ethos. Filmmakers elsewhere thought that such desi stories will not work and they should make something with more western sensibilities, films that are more commercial in nature. However, audience kuch aur hi soch rahi hai (is thinking something else). They want grounded, rooted, regional village, realistic stories on the silver screen.”

RECOMMENDED READ: Kantara Review: Rishab Shetty creates a hypnotic world with his cinematic retelling of folklore

He also spoke about the awareness of Kannada films and said, “In the 70s and 80s there was a superstar Dr Rajkumar, whose films got dubbed into multiple languages, such was his stardom. Humara legacy bhi hai, but har industry mein ups and downs hota hai. Toh after KGF 2, people suddenly had a renewed interest in Kannada films. It is a good thing.”

According to Rishab, Kantara’s USP was the connection between nature and humans and the fact that the present generation is woefully unaware of the traditions, customs, culture and rituals. The film addresses these concepts and brings an outlet to vent these sensibilities. He said, “Manushya aur prakriti k beech mein jo connection hai, Kantara addresses that in details through a folk lore. People are loving this connect to nature. That is the film's USP.”

Kantara was dubbed and released in Telugu, Hindi and Tamil last week. The Kannada version of the film has already crossed Rs 100 crore nett mark at the box office. The film also stars Kishore Kumar G, Achyuth Kumar and Sapthami Gowda in pivotal roles and follows a Kambala champion, played by Rishab who comes to lock horns with an upright Forest Range officer, Murali (played by Kishore).

(Source: Zoom)

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